(^)
(^)
Chapter 13
Shepherding the Heart Summarized
In the first part of this book, I have laid out the foundations for
biblical childrearing. This chapter briefly summarizes the elements of
Part One.
(^) 1. Your children are the product of two things. The first—shaping
influence—is their physical makeup and their life experience. The
second—Godward orientation—determines how they interact with
that experience. Parenting involves (1) providing the best shaping
influences you can and (2) the careful shepherding of your children’s
responses to those influences.
(^) 2. The heart determines behavior. Learn, therefore, to work back
from behavior to the heart. Expose heart struggles. Help your children
see that they were made for a relationship with God. The thirst of the
heart can be satisfied in truly knowing God.
(^) 3. You have authority because God has made you his agent. This
means you are on his errand, not yours. Your task is to help your
children know God and the true nature of reality. This will enable
them to know themselves.
(^) 4. Since the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him
forever, you must set such a worldview before your children. You
must help them learn that only in him will they find themselves.
(^) 5. Biblical goals must be accomplished through biblical methods.
Therefore, you must reject the substitute methods that our culture
presents.
(^) 6. God has given two methods for childrearing. They are (1)
barré
(Barré)
#1